Koolmill Systems
Koolmill Systems is a UK-based agri-tech company that has developed patented, ultra-low power F1-Series rice milling machines for SME millers globally, sold via a Machinery-as-a-Service model and targeted at the 1.5 million SME millers excluded from high-value rice markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Koolmill Systems does
Koolmill Systems Limited is a UK-based agricultural technology company that has developed an ultra-low power rice milling solution centered on its patented F1-Series Milling Machine. The technology uses proprietary chamber designs and displacement technology to deliver up to 90% power savings versus traditional rice milling, reduce damaged rice from 21% to under 10%, cut operational footprint by 83% (from 100ft x 80ft to 15ft x 9ft), and enable near-zero net broken rice in a single-pass operation requiring no supporting equipment. The company is ranked 4th in the IP100 patents category and operates across 7 countries with over 40 strategic partners spanning industrial (Siemens, AB InBev), academic (Sheffield Hallam University/NCEFE, Punjab Agricultural University, Aston Business School), and government (Innovate UK, RMI) organizations.
The business model combines hardware sales (F1-Series, Rice Mill in a Box, retrofit solutions) with an innovative "Machinery as a Service" pay-as-you-mill offering that eliminates upfront capital costs for SME millers. Additional revenue streams include technology licensing (notably to AB InBev for brewing applications) and by-product valorization (converting bran into food ingredients and husk into power or cement substitutes). Target customers include the 1.5 million SME rice millers globally excluded from high-value markets, commercial rice mills seeking retrofit replacements with 9-month ROI payback, new-build processors, and emerging verticals such as brewing and grain processing.
The company is founder-led by Alec Anderson, who also serves as IP inventor, and operates with 1-10 employees from Sheffield, UK. Koolmill has built its footprint primarily through grant-funded pilots — including a £1.1m Innovate UK/India DBT Punjab project, a £2m Newton Fund NextGen Rice Milling project, a £1.7m Made Smarter Digital Servitization Demonstrator, and selection as a Milken-Motsepe Prize finalist — rather than dilutive equity financing. Its stated ambition is to become a Global Top 10 supplier to the rice milling industry by 2028.
Koolmill Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Koolmill Systems
- Legal name
- Koolmill Systems Limited
- Website
- https://koolmill.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Koolmill Systems is a UK-based agri-tech company that has developed patented, ultra-low power F1-Series rice milling machines for SME millers globally, sold via a Machinery-as-a-Service model and targeted at the 1.5 million SME millers excluded from high-value rice markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Koolmill Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Rice Milling Equipment
- NAICS
- Rice Milling (311212), Grain and Oilseed Milling (3112), Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111)
- SIC
- Grain Mill Products (2040), Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Rice & Grain Processing (milling, polishing, parboiling, blending) (AFAKABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Agricultural Processing Equipment (On-farm) (IMAHACAL), Grain Processing for Feed (Cracking, Rolling, Grinding) (AFADAIAF)
Keywords
Where Koolmill Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Koolmill Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales - F1-Series Milling Machines: Sale of F1-Series rice milling machines to commercial and SME millers. The machines offer 90% power savings and can be retrofitted into existing operations or delivered as new build solutions.
- Machinery as a Service (MaaS): Pay-as-you-mill business model that negates high upfront costs through monthly commission payments. This makes high-performance milling technology accessible to SME millers regardless of size, location, or gender.
- Technology Licensing: Licensing of internationally patented milling technology to partners including AB InBev for applications in grain processing beyond rice (e.g., malted barley for brewing).
- By-product Valorisation: Revenue from valorising waste products - converting bran into nutritious food ingredients and husk/straw into power, heat, and potential Portland Cement replacement.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Monthly | Machinery as a Service - Pay-as-you-mill |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Retrofit Solutions |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Commercial Mill Replacement |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Koolmill Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Koolmill Systems designs, manufactures and sells the F1-Series rice milling machine, a patented ultra-low power single-pass milling system that turns raw paddy into premium white rice with up to 90% power savings and reduced broken rice. The offering is delivered as new build mills, retrofits for SME and commercial mills, and through a 'Machinery as a Service' pay-as-you-mill commercial model.
Product overview
Koolmill Systems offers a portfolio of rice milling products centered on its patented F1-Series Milling Machine technology. The core offering includes the 'Rice Mill in a Box' — a compact, single-pass milling solution requiring no supporting equipment — available as either a new build mill for SME processors or as a retrofit for existing SME and commercial operations. All offerings are powered by the same F1-Series technology platform and can be accessed through a 'Machinery as a Service' business model.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- F1-Series Milling Machine The flagship patented rice milling machine that converts raw paddy into premium, value-added, sustainably packaged white rice in a single pass, delivering up to 90% power savings and near-zero net broken rice without supporting equipment or negative air systems. It is targeted at SME processors building new rice milling facilities.
- Retrofit SME Mills Scalable, off-grid rice milling systems designed to replace antiquated milling machinery in existing SME rice mills, enabling up to 90% power savings, decreased downtime through pre-emptive monitoring, and increased profitability, available regardless of capacity, location or gender.
- Rice Mill in a Box (Commercial Mill Retrofit) A disruptive, compact rice milling solution for commercial mills that requires no supporting equipment or expensive negative air systems, can replace existing machinery to free space and increase capacity, or be universally integrated to improve reliability and performance with zero net broken rice.
- Machinery as a Service (MaaS) A pay-as-you-mill commercial model that provides access to F1-Series milling technology through monthly commission payments instead of high upfront capital costs, targeting SME rice millers regardless of size, location, or gender.
- Technology Licensing Licensing of Koolmill's patented gentle grain processing technology to industrial partners for applications outside rice milling, including malted barley processing for brewing (AB InBev) and chia seed processing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% power savings compared to traditional rice milling
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Koolmill Systems
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Koolmill Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Koolmill Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.
- National Centre of Excellence for Food Engineering (NCEFE)coreKoolmill and NCEFE aim to be recognised as Global Thought Leaders within the cereal processing industry through creation of a Global Centre of Excellence for Cereal Processing. NCEFE provides scientific and academic rigour, fluid modelling software for virtual models, and independent evaluation of economic, social, and environmental impacts. Joint Newton Fund project brought third generation rice milling technology to market.
- Sheffield Hallam UniversitycoreKoolmill works alongside Sheffield Hallam University to create a Global Centre of Excellence for Cereal Processing at NCEFE. The partnership has enabled development of F1-Series technology and exploration of applications beyond rice to other cereals, grains, pulses, and legumes.
- AB InBevcorePartnership formed following European Innovation Council event (EIC) Dream Tech Alliance Start-Up match-making session. Investigation to determine value of Koolmill's unique gentle grain processing technology. Multiple trials have been run in the UK exploring applications for processing friable Malted Barley and increasing brewing efficiency.
- Rajdhani Rice MillcoreSME Rice Miller in Northern India identified as ideal project partner for Innovate UK funded project. Created demonstrator pilot mill that became exemplar for improved revenues from affordable low-power, high-performance, distributed rice milling. Success resulted in conversion from £3k/year government contract mill to £360k/year high-performance Basmati mill.
- Advanced Services Group (ASG) - Aston Business SchoolcoreASG is a centre of excellence at Aston Business School providing education, training, research and global network around advanced services and servitization. Partnered with Koolmill on the Digital Servitization Demonstrator project around Baxi Heating to develop 'Heat as a Service' model adaptable to all-industry manufacturing.
- Punjab Agricultural UniversitysecondaryAcademic partner in India for Innovate UK funded rice milling projects. Collaboration on Newton Fund AG-Tech Challenge: Next Gen Rice Milling Project. Provides research expertise and validation of Koolmill technology through field trials in Punjab.
- Innovate UKcoreUK government innovation agency providing funding and support for Koolmill projects including the £1.1m India project, Newton Fund partnerships, and Next Gen Rice Milling initiatives. Validated Koolmill processing technology through funded projects.
- RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute)secondaryPartnership through RMI Africa Energy Program to provide access to high-performance rice milling as a service to rural smallholders in Nigeria. Collaboration to adapt Koolmill technology and business model to meet challenges of African rice production.
- Government of India - Department of BiotechnologycoreIndian Government department that co-funded the £1.1m project alongside Innovate UK for improved rice milling for SME millers in Punjab, India. Validation of disruptive Koolmill milling technology through Newton Fund.
- SiemenssecondaryTechnology partner in The Engineer UK Collaborate to Innovate 2021 award-winning project. Collaboration on Next Gen Rice Milling initiative bringing digital rice milling solutions to SME mills.
- KTN (Knowledge Transfer Network)minorInnovation ecosystem partner supporting knowledge sharing and collaboration in The Engineer UK award-winning rice milling project.
- New Food Innovation LtdminorFood innovation specialist partner in The Engineer UK Collaborate to Innovate 2021 award-winning Next Gen Rice Milling project.
- JJA Pack LtdminorPackaging partner in The Engineer UK award-winning project focusing on sustainable packaging solutions for rice processing.
- South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined AuthorityminorRegional government partner hosting visit from High Commissioner of India to UK and Mayor Dan Jarvis. Represents collaboration between UK regions and international partnerships for rice processing technology.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Koolmill Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- AG Growth International: Manufacturer of grain handling, storage, and processing equipment. Overlaps on the post-harvest processing side of the cereal value chain and serves similar commercial/processing customers globally.
- Zanin F.lli Srl: Italian manufacturer of grain processing and rice milling equipment, with comparable retrofit and turnkey plant offerings for emerging-market millers. Similar SME/commercial customer overlap in Asia and Africa.
Direct peers
- Fowler Westrup: Provider of post-harvest grain processing and rice mill machinery, particularly active in India and Southeast Asia. Comparable on rice milling equipment and turnkey plant delivery to SME/commercial millers.
- Suncue Company: Taiwanese rice milling equipment manufacturer with strong presence in Asian markets. Directly competes on rice milling machinery, color sorting, and full rice plant solutions for SME and commercial millers.
- MILLTEC Machinery: India-based rice processing equipment manufacturer offering paddy-to-rice milling solutions. Most relevant direct competitor for Koolmill's SME/commercial replacement and retrofit offerings in South Asia.
Broad incumbents
- Bühler Group: Swiss global leader in grain processing equipment, including rice milling. Operates across the full cereal and food processing value chain with established service networks in developing markets where Koolmill targets SMEs.
- Alapala Group: Turkish manufacturer of flour, feed, and grain milling machinery with global reach. Comparable in milling equipment engineering and emerging-market distribution, though focused more on wheat/feed than rice.
- Satake Corporation: Japanese pioneer of rice milling and optical sorting technology with a long-established global installed base. Direct overlap on rice milling machinery sold to commercial mills, though Satake's scale and legacy positioning are vastly different.
Regional players
- Indopol: Indian rice processing equipment supplier focused on the South Asian SME rice miller segment. Direct overlap with Koolmill's target customer profile and geographic focus in India.
Others
- Wenger Manufacturing: Manufacturer of processing equipment for food, feed, and specialty grain products. Analogous extrusion/processing technology expertise applicable to value-added grain processing adjacent to Koolmill's milling focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Koolmill Systems social profiles
Digital presenceKoolmill Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Koolmill Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Koolmill Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Koolmill Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Koolmill Systems
What does Koolmill Systems do?
Koolmill Systems designs, manufactures and sells the F1-Series rice milling machine, a patented ultra-low power single-pass milling system that turns raw paddy into premium white rice with up to 90% power savings and reduced broken rice. The offering is delivered as new build mills, retrofits for SME and commercial mills, and through a 'Machinery as a Service' pay-as-you-mill commercial model.
Is Koolmill Systems a public or private company?
Koolmill Systems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Koolmill Systems founded?
Koolmill Systems was founded in 1988. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Koolmill Systems based?
Koolmill Systems is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Koolmill Systems make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales - F1-Series Milling Machines are the primary driver. The others are machinery as a Service (MaaS), technology Licensing and by-product Valorisation.
Who are Koolmill Systems's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are AG Growth International and Zanin F.lli Srl. Direct peers are Fowler Westrup, Suncue Company and MILLTEC Machinery. Broad incumbents are Bühler Group, Alapala Group and Satake Corporation. Indopol is listed as a regional player. Wenger Manufacturing is listed as an others.
Does Koolmill Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Koolmill Systems.
What industry is Koolmill Systems in?
Koolmill Systems's product category is Industrial Rice Milling Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKABAE, Rice & Grain Processing (milling, polishing, parboiling, blending), with a secondary code of IMAHACAL, Agricultural Processing Equipment (On-farm). Its NAICS code is 311212 and its SIC code is 2040.